Chapter 412: Northern Expedition 4
"You are all the best soldiers. Who provides you with food and clothes? Who lets you live like a human being? Who ensures that your children have food to eat, clothes to wear, and can go to school? Tell me who it is?" A battalion commander asked the soldiers below at the top of his voice.
"It's the prince! It's the prince! It's the prince!" the soldiers below shouted in unison.
Their voices were filled with excitement and trembling, with gratitude and admiration. Without the prince raising a banner to recruit soldiers, they would have died long ago. Their families, children, and wives would have starved to death or become playthings or slaves of others.
It was the prince who made them live like human beings and look like human beings.
Today, all the company commanders of the Conquer the Narrowness Army began selecting soldiers. Those with high combat skills, families, and children were selected. A total of 200 people!
They were placed in a special camp with stricter security than other camps.
They were told they were to carry out the most dangerous mission, potentially resulting in death. Those willing to go would have their children raised by the prince's staff until they turned 18. Wives willing to remain widows would receive an additional 30 taels of silver per year as chastity money, a measure invented by Zhao Xiaofei. Those who wished to remarry received a lump sum dowry of 20 taels.
Officials were tracking widows, and if a widow remarried, her children could not change their surnames. If they did, the woman and her new husband's family would be fined, and the woman could even be imprisoned.
After hearing these conditions, no fewer than a thousand people wanted to join the death squad. Wan Shan and Zhou Shuai picked and chose, and finally selected 200 people as the death squad to assassinate Dorgon directly.
These 200 people were selected to form a suicide squad, and the scene that the battalion commander asked the soldiers just now occurred.
200 people, each one knowing this was a one-way trip, yet they remained undaunted. They simply wanted to end this chaotic world as soon as possible, for their children, for their families. So that they could be remembered! This was Zhao Xiaofei's promise to them!
At night, in Dorgon’s central military tent, flag leaders such as Man Dahai, Luo Keduo, Doni, and Luo Keduohun gathered in the tent.
Dorgon said to these banner owners: "I know that you all don't submit to me and think that I, Dorgon, am not worthy of sitting on the throne of regent. It doesn't matter! You can fight me if you want! You can also want me to step down! But we must get through this first!
The Ming army is about to reach Shanhaiguan. With their current strength, they will soon reach Shengjing! If the Qing Dynasty is gone, what's the point of fighting? Your people, women and children, will all be finished! If there are less than ten thousand Jurchens, at least ten thousand will be invincible! Show your courage, this is a fight to the death!
After Dorgon finished speaking, the other banner leaders began to discuss. On the surface, they all nodded in agreement, knowing the principle of "the lips and the teeth are cold." However, Dorgon was too powerful, and everyone wanted to take the throne or the position of regent.
Only when your strength is almost depleted, they will follow suit. Only then will they have a chance to take the throne after victory!
Dorgon saw what they were thinking and said, "Well, I now declare that I will no longer serve as regent. Man Dahai will serve as regent!"
Man Dahai was Daishan's son. Dorgon gave up the position of regent because, firstly, he hoped to take a step back and prevent the conflict between himself and the other bannermen from intensifying. Secondly, he wanted to let Man Dahai take the position, making him a target, sharing the firepower and disintegrating the alliance of the bannermen who opposed him.
Dorgon was a very clever man, and this trick immediately tricked the other flag owners. The princes and beiles below began to argue with each other.
Their argument centered on the distribution of power. Dorgon sighed. Outside the tent, Bumbutai wept. She thought to herself, "If Huang Taiji were still alive, the Qing Dynasty would never be like this." She immediately left and returned to the tent where she and her son lived.
In the second half of the night, the various banner owners redistributed their power, and Dorgon received military support from the other banner owners.
"Okay! In that case, tomorrow we will follow the agreed plan! We must fight a decisive battle with the Ming army, and decide the outcome in one battle!" Dorgon said with great pride.
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard gunshots and grenade explosions outside the tent. The sound was very close, and Dorgon and the other princes and beiles were shocked.
"What's going on?" Dorgon asked angrily.
One of Dorgon's Geshaha replied, "Your Highness! The Ming army has attacked the outside of the central army camp, and the personal guards are fighting them fiercely!"
"What? How did they get in?" Man Dahai asked in panic. The other princes, flag masters and beile were also very panicked.
Dorgon thought for a moment and snorted coldly, "Where else could it have come from? It must have come from the sky! Have you forgotten the Kongming lanterns made by the Ming army that could carry people into the sky?"
"What? What should we do?" Donnie was panicking.
"Why are you panicking? Even if the Kongming lantern can carry people here, I heard that one Kongming lantern can only carry 50 people. From the sound outside, there are only 200 people. Where is Oboi?" Dorgon stood up and asked.
Aobai had been standing at the very edge of the tent. He knelt down, clasped his fists, and said, "Your servant Aobai is willing to lead an army to destroy these Ming troops!"
"Okay! I'll hand over the personal guard to you, you have to perform well!" Dorgon said. In fact, the relationship between Dorgon and Oboi was antagonistic. Oboi had always supported Huang Taiji's son to inherit the throne. If Dorgon inherited the throne, Oboi would have even launched a mutiny. But Hauge died, and Zhao Xiaofei unexpectedly caught him. Oboi now supports Emperor Shunzhi. As for Dorgon, as long as Dorgon did not drive Shunzhi out of power, he would be loyal to Dorgon.
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